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{{short description|19th/20th-century American educator and Shakespearean scholar}}
{{Refimprove|date=December 2009}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox person
⚫
| name = William James Rolfe
| image = Portrait of W.J. Rolfe.jpg
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1827|12|10}}
| birth_place = [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]], Massachusetts
| death_date = {{Death date and age|1910|07|07|1827|12|10}}
| death_place = [[Tisbury, Massachusetts|Tisbury]], Massachusetts
| resting_place =
| occupation = Educator, scholar
| employer =
| spouse = {{Marriage|Eliza Jane Carew|July 30, 1856}}
| children = {{Plainlist|
* [[John Carew Rolfe]]
* Charles J. Rolfe
* George Rolfe
⚫
}}
| relatives =
| awards =
| education =
| party =
| signature = Signature of William James Rolfe.png
}}
'''William James Rolfe''', Litt.D. (December 10, 1827 – July 7, 1910) was an American educator and [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] scholar.<ref name=NYT/>


==Early life and education==
'''William James Rolfe''', Litt.D. (1827–1910) was an [[United States|American]] [[William Shakespeare|Shakespearean]] scholar and educator, born in [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]] on December 10, 1827.<ref>New York Times July 8, 1910</ref>
Rolfe was born in [[Newburyport, Massachusetts]] on December 10, 1827, son of John Rolfe, of a family "settled early in Newbury... members of which were noted in the history of the state at Haverhill and elsewhere", and Lydia Davis, née Moulton.<ref name=NYT/><ref name=Cyclopaedia/> He attended [[Amherst College]] from 1845 through 1848, but left without graduating after three years due to financial hardship. Amherst, though, nonetheless later awarded him an honorary degree.


==Career==
He attended [[Amherst College|Amherst]] from 1845 through 1848, but left without graduating after three years due to financial hardship. Amherst, though, nonetheless later awarded him an honorary degree.
Between 1852 and 1868, he served as headmaster of high schools at [[Dorchester, Massachusetts|Dorchester]], [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]], and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts]].<ref name=Cyclopaedia/> From 1882 to 1887, he served as president of [[Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute]].<ref name="Mowry-1905">{{cite journal |last1=Mowry |first1=William A. |title=The Marthas Vineyard Summer Institute. A brief sketch of its establishment, its progress, its scope, and its conditions. |journal=The School Journal |date=15 April 1905 |volume=70 |pages=409–11 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Kf9KAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA409 |access-date=11 May 2022 |publisher=E.L. Kellogg & Company |language=en}} {{Source-attribution}}</ref>


⚫
Early in his career, he edited selections from [[Ovid]] and [[Virgil]] and (in collaboration) the ''Cambridge Course of Physics'' (six volumes, 1867–68).
Between 1852 and 1868, he served as headmaster of high schools at [[Dorchester, Massachusetts|Dorchester]], [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]], [[Salem, Massachusetts|Salem]], and [[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]], [[Commonwealth of Massachusetts|Massachusetts]].


Rolfe's Shakespearean work began with an American edition of [[George Lillie Craik]]'s ''English of Shakespeare'' (3rd revised ed., 1864, {{LCCN|28015228}}), which Crosby and Ainsworth published in 1867 ({{LCCN|03026761}}). This led to his preparation for [[Harper & Brothers]] of a complete edition of Shakespeare – the Friendly Edition (forty volumes, 1870–83; new edition, 1903–07). Rolfe's editions proved to be the best-selling versions in America (during a time of increased use of Shakespeare in high school classrooms) due both to his credentials as a high school administrator and to his use of [[Bowdlerization]] of the text in order to remove much of Shakespeare's lewd content.<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UabYRhBvzeAC |title = Shakespeare in Print: A History and Chronology of Shakespeare Publishing|isbn = 9781139439466|last1 = Murphy|first1 = Andrew|date = 2003-11-13| publisher=Cambridge University Press }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book | url=https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Shakespeare_in_the_Class-Room#cite_note-1 | title=Shakespeare in the Class-Room| year=1886| publisher=Leonard Scott Publication Company}}</ref>
⚫
Early in his career, he edited selections from [[Ovid]] and [[Virgil]] and (in collaboration) the ''Cambridge Course of Physics'' (six volumes, 1867–68).


⚫
Rolfe also edited a [[iarchive:completepoetical00tenn|complete edition]] of [[Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Tennyson]] (twelve volumes, 1898) and verse by many of the other great English poets. He wrote a very useful ''[[Satchel Guide|Satchel Guide to Europe]]'', revised annually for 35 years, and at least five other books:
His Shakespearean work began with an edition of [[George Lillie Craik]]'s ''English of Shakespeare'' (1867). This led to the preparation of a complete edition - the Friendly Edition - of Shakespeare (forty volumes, 1870–83; new edition, 1903–07).

⚫
He also edited a complete edition of [[Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson|Tennyson]] (twelve volumes, 1898) and verse by many of the other great English poets. He wrote a very useful ''[[Satchel Guide|Satchel Guide to Europe]]'', revised annually for 35 years; and:


* ''Shakespeare the Boy'' (1896)
* ''Shakespeare the Boy'' (1896)
Line 19: Line 46:
* ''Shakesperean Proverbs'' (1908)
* ''Shakesperean Proverbs'' (1908)


==Personal life==
⚫
William James Rolfe died on July 7, 1910 at the home of a son in Tisbury, Massachusetts.<ref>New York Times July 8, 1910</ref> He was the father of [[John Carew Rolfe]], Charles J. Rolfe and George Rolfe.
He married Eliza Jane Carew in Dorchester on July 30, 1856.<ref name=Cyclopaedia/> He was the father of [[John Carew Rolfe]], Charles J. Rolfe and George Rolfe, all of whom were professors.<ref>According to his ''New York Times'' obituary, "Three sons, Prof. John Rolfe of the University of Pennsylvania, Prof. George Rolfe and Prof. Charles J. Rolfe of Cambridge, survive [Dr. Rolfe]."</ref>

⚫
William James Rolfe died on July 7, 1910, at the home of a son in [[Tisbury, Massachusetts]].<ref name=NYT/>

==See also==
* [[Shakespeare's editors]]


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist |refs=

<ref name=NYT>
{{Cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64508879/dr-w-j-rolfe-author-is-dead/ |title=Dr. W. J. Rolfe, Author, Is Dead |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |location=Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts |page=7 |date=1910-07-08 |access-date=2020-12-03 |via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

<ref name=Cyclopaedia>{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QsdKAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA86 |title=The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography |volume=IV |publisher=James T. White & Company |pages=86–87 |year=1893 |access-date=2020-12-03 |via=Google Books}}</ref>
}}


==External links==
==External links==
* {{Gutenberg author | id=Rolfe,+W.+J.+(William+James) }}
* {{Wikisource author-inline|William James Rolfe}}
* {{Internet Archive author}}
* {{Gutenberg author | id=34551}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=William James Rolfe}}
* {{LCAuth|n85810919|W. J. Rolfe|181|}}


{{Authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. -->
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| NAME = Rolfe, William James
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
⚫
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American educator and Shakespearean scholar
| DATE OF BIRTH = December 10, 1827
| PLACE OF BIRTH =
| DATE OF DEATH = July 7, 1910
| PLACE OF DEATH =
⚫
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolfe, William James}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rolfe, William James}}
[[Category:American classical scholars]]
[[Category:American classical scholars]]
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[[Category:1827 births]]
[[Category:1827 births]]
[[Category:1910 deaths]]
[[Category:1910 deaths]]
[[Category:Place of death missing]]

Latest revision as of 23:43, 3 January 2024

William James Rolfe
Born(1827-12-10)December 10, 1827
Newburyport, Massachusetts
DiedJuly 7, 1910(1910-07-07) (aged 82)
Tisbury, Massachusetts
Occupation(s)Educator, scholar
Spouse
Eliza Jane Carew
​
(m. 1856)​
Children
Signature

William James Rolfe, Litt.D. (December 10, 1827 – July 7, 1910) was an American educator and Shakespearean scholar.[1]

Early life and education

[edit]

Rolfe was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts on December 10, 1827, son of John Rolfe, of a family "settled early in Newbury... members of which were noted in the history of the state at Haverhill and elsewhere", and Lydia Davis, née Moulton.[1][2] He attended Amherst College from 1845 through 1848, but left without graduating after three years due to financial hardship. Amherst, though, nonetheless later awarded him an honorary degree.

Career

[edit]

Between 1852 and 1868, he served as headmaster of high schools at Dorchester, Lawrence, Salem, and Cambridge, Massachusetts.[2] From 1882 to 1887, he served as president of Martha's Vineyard Summer Institute.[3]

Early in his career, he edited selections from Ovid and Virgil and (in collaboration) the Cambridge Course of Physics (six volumes, 1867–68).

Rolfe's Shakespearean work began with an American edition of George Lillie Craik's English of Shakespeare (3rd revised ed., 1864, LCCN 28-15228), which Crosby and Ainsworth published in 1867 (LCCN 03-26761). This led to his preparation for Harper & Brothers of a complete edition of Shakespeare – the Friendly Edition (forty volumes, 1870–83; new edition, 1903–07). Rolfe's editions proved to be the best-selling versions in America (during a time of increased use of Shakespeare in high school classrooms) due both to his credentials as a high school administrator and to his use of Bowdlerization of the text in order to remove much of Shakespeare's lewd content.[4][5]

Rolfe also edited a complete edition of Tennyson (twelve volumes, 1898) and verse by many of the other great English poets. He wrote a very useful Satchel Guide to Europe, revised annually for 35 years, and at least five other books:

  • Shakespeare the Boy (1896)
  • The Elementary Study of English (1896)
  • Life of Shakespeare (1901)
  • Life of William Shakespeare (1904)
  • Shakesperean Proverbs (1908)

Personal life

[edit]

He married Eliza Jane Carew in Dorchester on July 30, 1856.[2] He was the father of John Carew Rolfe, Charles J. Rolfe and George Rolfe, all of whom were professors.[6]

William James Rolfe died on July 7, 1910, at the home of a son in Tisbury, Massachusetts.[1]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "Dr. W. J. Rolfe, Author, Is Dead". The New York Times. Vineyard Haven, Massachusetts. July 8, 1910. p. 7. Retrieved December 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  2. ^ a b c The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography. Vol. IV. James T. White & Company. 1893. pp. 86–87. Retrieved December 3, 2020 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ Mowry, William A. (April 15, 1905). "The Marthas Vineyard Summer Institute. A brief sketch of its establishment, its progress, its scope, and its conditions". The School Journal. 70. E.L. Kellogg & Company: 409–11. Retrieved May 11, 2022. Public Domain This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
  4. ^ Murphy, Andrew (November 13, 2003). Shakespeare in Print: A History and Chronology of Shakespeare Publishing. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781139439466.
  5. ^ Shakespeare in the Class-Room. Leonard Scott Publication Company. 1886.
  6. ^ According to his New York Times obituary, "Three sons, Prof. John Rolfe of the University of Pennsylvania, Prof. George Rolfe and Prof. Charles J. Rolfe of Cambridge, survive [Dr. Rolfe]."
[edit]
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